Chapter Six

Six chapters in, the hunter finally draws blood.

Ira’s mom-and-pop diner was a small building on the edge of town. The outside was dusky browns and dark greens, quaint and country. I wondered if the inside was just as cozy, but didn’t check it out yet. Instead, I drove around the building a few times getting a feel for its layout. I was also checking for any hidden assailants, but I didn’t spot any.

Coming back to the parking lot, I shut off my car and sat indecisively for a few seconds. I could go in and look around, make a note of the ways to the exits I’d seen from outside, but that might be over-doing it. But then again, I could just go inside and wait for him.

As I was getting out of the car, I felt my senses tingle in alarm, the unmistakable rush of danger splashing down my spine. It was a good thing I’d taken the time to re-center earlier. It might have saved my life. I hit the ground, somersaulting to the left and away from the car. Metal squealed as a blurry shape slammed into my car hard enough to push it sideways a good three inches.

Everything slammed into hyper-focus as my training roared up inside me. There was no adrenaline, no fear, no hesitation. My entire being was committed to my survival—my breathing, my motion, everything. I had only a split second to make real-time decisions, but in my mind I had all the time I needed, all the time in the world.

Instinctually I took in my surroundings. There was no one in the parking lot but me and my attacker, there weren’t even any cars around that might be hers. She was a bleached-blonde girl I thought I recognized from somewhere, but that detail fell away as my battle-readiness overcame me. She wasn’t too tall, about five-five. Her hair was obviously dyed, even if it had been a good salon she’d gone to. A jean jacket covered a pink t-shirt that left a slice of glitter-covered abdomen exposed.

Completing my roll, my hand automatically jerked my knife from it’s boot sheath. I had come up into a crouch behind her reflexively, and with a quick jab I drove the blade sideways through the back of her heel.

She screamed and kicked out reflexively, but I was already rolling away. I started to come to my feet again when I sensed another presence rushing toward me. I wasn’t up enough to get a good fighting stance, so I dropped back to the ground. This new player vaulted over me, struck out with one hand, and sent the girl flying over the top of my car and into the woods.

To my surprise, I recognized the back of the second person. It was Ira. He started to turn around, and I dropped my face back to the ground like I hadn’t seen what he’d just done. I rose to my knees and he squatted down. Subtly, I slipped the knife up my jacket sleeve.

“Hey,” he said gently, like he thought I’d spook. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, voice steady as I got to my feet. “Who was that?”

Ira looked abashed. “My ex.”

I snorted. “Figures. She always that crazy?”

“Pretty much.” As if realizing what he said, he looked back over his shoulder to where he’d thrown her. His eyes might have been able to penetrate the brush, but mine couldn’t. “I think I’d better go make sure she’s gone. Wait here.”

I nodded and he started off. The second he was out of sight, I went to my car, opened the glove box, and pulled out some wipes from a pack. With efficient motions, I wiped down my knife and slipped it back into my boot. Battle-lust fading, the high-detail of my vision relaxed. I glanced around but didn’t see any car that must have been Ira’s.

Waiting for him to return, I tried to remember where I’d seen the pyscho bitch before, and what I might have done to her that would enrage her enough to die for it. I snorted derisively. As if I was going down via some bitch with body glitter. Then it hit me where I’d seen her; she’d been with Ira at the career fair earlier, working his booth with him.

Ira emerged from the woods at the same place he’d gone in. I hoped that was just for appearances and he’d made a proper circuit.

“She’s gone,” he said.

Smiling, I shook my head. “Hell of a way to start a date.”

“Yeah,” Ira sighed, looking kinda dejected. “If you wanna go, I understand—”

“Nah,” I broke in. “It’ll take more than homicidal exes to scare me off. Besides, I believe I was promised, and I quote, an ‘amazing’ pie.”

A slow grin lit his face, and he stepped aside and gestured with a flourish. “Right this way.”

A bell twinkled above us, and a handsome middle-age woman looked up from the counter as we walked in. She had a low, easy smile, and her voice was clear as she called out to Ira.

“Hey, honey.”

To my surprise, a small, little-boy smile was on Ira’s face. “Hi, Mom.”

My eyes flickered back and forth between them. I didn’t think Mrs. Ira was a vampire, but it could still be a set up. Her eyes found me and she gave me a warm smile.

“And who might this handsome boy be?”

“Uh,” Ira said, “this is Regan.”

She held out her hand, “Nice to meet you. I’m Holly.”

I smiled back—what else was there to do?—and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Holly had Ira’s facial structure, or vice versa, but a bit thinner. Her eyes, now that I was close enough to see them, were a kind of liquid blue, so I was right that she wasn’t a vampire. Her hair was black, much darker than Ira’s. Darker than Milly’s, even. Behind her smile there was a fierce edge of intelligence in her eyes. She was polite to a fault, but I got the feeling there was little she didn’t notice.

Whipping out my most charming smile, I said, “So, Ira has promised me the pies here are amazing.”

“They are,” she said simply. Not in arrogance, but simple pride in her skill. “Why don’t you take a booth and I’ll bring you guys some menus.”

Holly slipped around the counter, grabbing two menus as she went. Ira started steering us to a corner booth, but I gently maneuvered him to a table instead. They were easier to get out of should the worst happen.

We ordered drinks to start and Holly wandered off to fill them.

When she was gone, I gave Ira an ironic smile. “Well, that wasn’t awkward at all.”

His brows creased as he looked at me, genuinely perplexed. “What?”

Leaning forward, I propped my elbows on the table, laced my hands together, and rested my chin on them. “You don’t think the first date is a little soon to meet the parents?”

Ira’s brows shot up his forehead, as if it hadn’t occurred to him before. “Oh, huh. I hadn’t really thought of it like that.”

I canted an eyebrow in disbelief.

His cheeks a bit red, he went on. “I guess with most people it would be, but most people’s parents don’t run the best diner in town. I couldn’t walk in here and act like I don’t know her.”

Laughing shortly, I replied, “I guess not.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s fine,” I said. Then, casually, “So, who was that bleached-out skank, and why was she trying to kill me.”

With a sigh, Ira said, “Her name is Zo Williams, ex-girlfriend. As you’ve just witnessed, she’s a little crazy.”

I let that go without comment. “She usually try to off your new flames?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Ira said slowly. “Maybe she’s a lot crazy, but she’s never killed anyone.”

“And how much of that is due to your timely intervention?” I asked ironically. He didn’t reply, which told me all I needed to know. “How’d you know she was here? Or did you just coincidentally show up at the same time?”

“No, I knew. Or at least suspected,” Ira said. “When she suddenly disappeared from packing up our stuff around the time I was supposed to meet you, I had a pretty good idea where she’d gone.”

I didn’t ask how she’d overheard the details of our conversation from around the corner. He was probably operating under the assumption that my mind would fill in some plausible explanation, a technique I often used myself, and I wasn’t about to call attention to the facts I knew too soon. It was also why I’d pretended not to notice that a pint-sized college chick moved my car by herself.

Important details out of the way, I moved on to things less pertinent.

“Not that this is any of my business,” I said, “but what’s the deal with her? Are you bi, or was she just from before you knew?”

Ira looked down at his hands as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he began, “I guess I’m bi, but consider myself gay, really. She’s the only girl I’ve ever been with.”

It seemed to be taking Holly an awfully long time to fill the drinks, but I figured she was giving us a moment.

“So, was she the one girl you tried het-sex with first just to be sure?”

He shook his head. “No, she wasn’t my first relationship. My first serious one, maybe. I don’t know what to tell you, Regan. I wasn’t confused or in denial when I dated her I just…” He sighed. “I just fell in love.”

Suddenly he looked up at me. “You ever have a just-to-be-sure?”

I shrugged. “Not really. I’ve had sex with a girl a time or two, but not to confirm or deny any gayness on my part.” I gave him a wry smile. “I was pretty sure early on.”

“Then why?”

“Try anything once.”

“Or twice?”

“Sometimes,” I laughed.

He grinned back, and just like that the tension was broken. I couldn’t remember ever having a conversation about my past encounters go this smoothly with someone before…but then, I couldn’t really remember talking about it, either.

Holly emerged from the back right then. I guess she’d seen the small lull in our conversation and decided to get in while the getting was good.

“Here you are, boys,” she said as she set our pops down. “You looking for anything more filling, or just a slice of pie?”

“Hmm.” I thought for a sec. “Just a slice for me, please.”

“All right, what can I get you?”

I caught Ira’s eye. “Cherry.”